Manatee Forages Near Spring Run

A young manatee forages near submerged cypress tree roots at Three Sisters Springs. The lovely spring run which acts as the manatee thrououghfare is pictured. It is fall, prior to the cooling of the winter season in Florida. This manatee is an early arrival and is familiar with where to forage before the hordes of manatees arrive. There is some early-season plant and grass material back in the usually barren freshwater warm springs. Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Kings Bay, Crystal River, Citrus County, Florida USA. Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, IUCN Endangered but proposed downlisting to Threatened by USFWS for 2017: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22106/0.